Freezing blueberries is a simple way to make sure you always have a boost of blue on hand for snacking, cooking or baking. If your blueberries came in a plastic clamshell container, you can pop them right in the freezer. Otherwise, use freezer containers or resealable plastic bags.
Once they have completely frozen, transfer the blueberries into Ziploc bags on any other airtight freezer containers. Label containers with the contents and date frozen and place in freezer. Blueberries will keep frozen for up to a year with minimal loss of flavor or texture deterioration.
Refrigerate fresh berries right after grocery shopping or a visit to the blueberry patch. You can store them in the plastic clamshell they come in, or in a large, un-covered bowl or container. Don't store fresh blueberries in an airtight container as this can trap moisture and speed up mold and rot.
If you've rinsed your berries, lay them out to dry on a paper towel-lined tray, rolling them around a bit until there's no visible water left on them. Then transfer the berries to a breathable container that you've lined with paper towels, such as the box or basket the berries came in.
As for the berries you're not eating, be sure to store them in the fridge in a container that can breathe. That means no air-tight plastic or glass containers—though if that's all you have on hand, just leave the lid slightly ajar.
Don't crowd your berries when storing
Then cover the container with a loose-fitting lid to let excess moisture (a breeding ground for bacteria) escape. You don't want to use airtight containers here.
But once you store them, how long do blueberries last? When you store blueberries in the fridge, they should keep for up to a week and when you freeze blueberries, they should keep for up to eight months. Want to keep your other berries fresh? Learn how to freeze and store strawberries.
(Because blueberries are so delicate, running them under the water may cause breakage) Swish the berries around and drip dry! REMEMBER- Make sure to rinse berries 'as you go'… rinsing them all at once can cause them to absorb the water and become mushy too soon!
If your berries came in a ventilated plastic clamshell-type package, wash it with soap and hot water, rinse and dry, then line it with a dry paper towel. Put the clean, dry berries back in the clamshell and store them in the fridge.
You can leave blueberries at room temperature if you plan to eat them in the next day or so, but after that you should transfer them to the fridge—they can stay there for five to 10 days. Of course, you can freeze them if you want to keep them longer than that.
Fresh, Ready-to-eat Blueberries
It's important to refrigerate fresh berries after a grocery delivery, trip to the store or visit to the u-pick farm. You can keep them in the original plastic clamshell or in a covered bowl or container.
If you leave ripe blueberries on the kitchen counter at room temperature, they will only last for a day or two before spoiling. It is best to keep them refrigerated. The best place to store blueberries is in the fridge where the shelf life of blueberries is about 2 weeks if properly stored.
2. Lay washed berries out evenly and place in the freezer. 3. After 12 hours, when completely frozen, place into Ziploc bags.
Yes, you can use zip lock bags to store fruits in the refrigerator. Ziplock bags are a convenient and efficient way to store fruits and keep them fresh. Just make sure to choose the right size bag for the amount of fruit you want to store and ensure the bag is sealed properly.
Storing the berries with a paper towel will act as a fresh absorbent pad and keep the moisture off the fruit.
Store berries in paper towel-lined sealable container, with layers of paper towels between each layer of berries. Keep the lid slightly open to allow excess moisture to escape. Place in the refrigerator to store.
To dry berries after washing, carefully spread them in a single layer on a tray or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Gently pat the berries dry with another paper towel.
Berries readily absorb excess water. If you wash them and then stick them in the refrigerator, they could get moldy or mushy. Keep berries fresh and avoid mold spores by keeping them dry until you're ready to use them.
Most berries should not be washed until they are being used. Excess water can cause premature spoilage for delicate, antioxidant-rich fruits like blueberries and raspberries, even gooseberries.
Blueberries may not be good after two weeks as they usually have about ten days storage period in the fridge. However, if you choose to freeze them, they could last up to 6 months.
As mentioned above, glass jars keep out air, which lengthens the life of the produce. Glass jars are a safer, healthier alternative to plastic.
Transfer the dry berries to an airtight container lined with a layer of paper towels. Make sure to put them in a shallow layer so that the weight of the berries doesn't crush the ones on the bottom. A layer no deeper than an inch and a half or so is fine.
The best way to store fruit is the process I've gone through above, fresh fruit can last much longer after being washed and stored in clean glass jars. When keeping fresh fruit in plastic containers and bags, it will likely decay much faster.